A Familiar Face Joins Leesburg’s Father-Son Coaching Duo
With the 2025 season right around the corner, the Leesburg Lightning are set to defend their back-to-back league titles after winning their 5th all-time last summer. Rich Billings enters his 11th season as Head Coach alongside his father, Rich Billings Sr who will serve his 7th season as an assistant coach. The veteran duo will be joined by former Lightning catcher Tanner Clark for his first season as an assistant coach.
In 2024, Coach Billings' team finished with a 24-12 regular season record before going 4-1 in the postseason. Despite dropping the first semi-finals game to the Sanford River Rats, the Lightning would storm their way back, winning the next two games to reach the championship series. Leesburg then swept the Deland Suns to capture their third FCSL title in the last four years.
Rich Billings received his third FCSL Coach of the Year honors after another dominant summer with the Lightning. Billings just finished his 13th season as the Lake Sumter State Head Coach with his first tenure having first served from 2008 to 2012 while returning to the role in 2015. With 233 career wins with the Lightning, he enters this summer as the winningest skipper in Florida League history. The three-time champion will also oversee pitching duties for the Lightning during their 2025 campaign.
Rich Billings Sr returns with his veteran expertise for the lightning this summer. Aside from the past two college seasons, Billings Sr has also served on the Lake Sumter State staff as an assistant coach with his son at the helm. The Florida native was a middle infielder for two years at Seminole State College from 1977 to 1979 before playing his final two seasons at Rollins College.
“My dad, we just call him coach,” said Head Coach Rich Billings. “He is our first base coach, and he helps with the hitters and does some infield work.”
Tanner Clark, at just 27 years old, joins the Lightning coaching staff with plenty of experience on the other side. The former catcher played three summers with Leesburg (2018-2020) while attending the University of North Florida. Clark played in 73 games for Coach Billings across the three seasons, finishing with 48 hits and 36 runs batted in. For the past four years, Clark has been the head coach for Umatilla High School baseball where he just secured his fourth straight winning season. Last year, the baseball lifer led the Bulldogs to their first district title in 22 years while falling one win short of making the 3A state championship semi-finals just weeks ago.
“Just like he did as a player he has turned himself into a really good coach,” said Billings. “I am excited to have him this summer because he knows what the expectations are and it’s nice to have someone that is familiar with that.”
Coach Billings and his staff will begin their title defense next Thursday against the Sanford River Rats at Sanford Memorial Stadium. First pitch is at 7 p.m. EST.